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A privately owned Folland Gnat previously used by the RAFRed Arrows display team. It has been painted as an aircraft of the earlier Yellowjacks display team, a forerunner of the Red Arrows.

British Marine Aircraft Limited was formed in February 1936 to produce Sikorsky S-42-Aflying boats under licence in the UK. The company built a factory on the western side of the Hamble peninsula with a slipway to Southampton Water. Although the construction of one Sikorsky based aircraft was started at Hamble the company was suffering losses and mergers with other British aircraft companies were considered by the liquidators including one with Westland Aircraft which was not concluded. Following failure of the Westland deal the liquidators appointed a new management board in May 1937 to stem the losses and re-organise the company which was renamed later in 1937 to Folland Aircraft Company after Henry P. Folland the company's managing director and aircraft designer.[1]

The first aircraft of its own design to fly was the Folland Fo.108 in 1940. Designed and built to meet the Air MinistrySpecification 43/47 for a flying engine testbed it was generally known as the 43/47 or by the nickname "Folland Frightful" from its unusual appearance.

The Folland F.115 and F.116 designs were tendered to meet Specification E.28/40 for a research aircraft to investigate the issues of landing weight for aircraft operating from carriers. The F.116 design was powered by a Centaurus radial and used a variable incidence wing on an airframe estimated at around 18,250 lb (8,300 kg). Two prototypes were ordered but the project was cancelled in 1943 as most of the problems had already been overcome, and neither prototype was completed.[3]

In 1959 Folland was acquired by Hawker Siddeley who dropped the Folland name in 1963. Ultimately, Folland became part of British Aerospace (BAe). Although Hamble airfield closed in 1986, BAe continued to use the premises there for the production of major assemblies for Harrier and Hawk jets.[2]